St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1887-01-13

chicago OF CnlS son Ol OC. JOiIlsouiy
Edward Adams Jewett.
In bis social and fraternal relation s
he is also highly respected. He is an
hOnored brother of the Masonic frater-
nifty, being member of Washington
lodge, Burlington (Vt.) chapter and
council; of Chevalier Bayard cOmman-
derry of Chicago, and Boston (Mass.)
consistory; served as district deputy
Grand Master of the state of Vermont
one year; Grand High Priest of the
Grand chapter two years. and Grand
GeneralissimO of the Grand cOmman
derry one year. In 1870 he married
Jennie M. Hubbell, of Charlotte, Chit
tenden county, member of an old and
highly respected Vermont family.
| They live i'm Vermont like and pleas
ant home at 3I7O GrOveland avenue,
where the welcome VermOnters and
others with cOrdiality.
Abner Miles Wright,
Is one of the most notable of the
sons of Vermont among the business
men .Si' Chicago. He was born at Wa
terfOrd, in Caledonia county, Jan. %,
1928, and his father, Daniel Wright,
was born there and his father, the
grandfather of A. NJ, moved to that
place from Connecticut at an early day
and established homestead on farm.
Grandfather on the maternal side was
Abner Miles-frOm whom the subject
of this mention was named-was Il
prominent man whereabouts, so were
both of the families. They were of
excellent New England stock, as your
readers know, and earned longevity
by their natural, even lives, fruited
with creditable deeds and examples
stock from which has grown no gnarl-
ed trunks or stunted shoots. Such is
the stock from which Mr.. Wright
sprang and to which he has even add
ed lustre by his signally successful and
useful career. Not being physically
strong in youth he was most of the
time in school the common schools at
first, later at Phillips and st. Johns
bury academies, and finally at New
bury academy, which he left when
twenty years of age; he was an apt
and thorough scholar. Then to Paines-
vile, Ohio, and taught mathematics in
the academy there one year, and was
principal for one year, when he be-
came book keeper for a large whole
sale dry goods house in Cleveland,
nearly two years. During the presi-
Dental campaign of 1852 he establish
ed a campaign paper in advocacy of
the election of Gen. Scott, the wing
candidate for president, and was tele-
graph operator at the same time.
In the fall of "a he went to Freeport,
ILL.,, and was connected with the Ste
venson county bank until 1856, when
he came to Chicago and became teller
in Adst's 1.-THE then oldest bank here)
bank until 1859, when he founded the
strong and solid firm of A. NJ. Wright
& Co., in the grain and commission
business, and has since been one of the
solid and successful business men on
the Chicago Board of Trade. He is a
staunch republican and has held i'm
portant political and other trusts
member of the Republican state CEN
trail committee of which he was treas
urer; delegate to the national cOnven-
ton of 1880 and one of the historic,
may say, immortal, BOG who voted for
the nomination of Gen. Grant to the
last, and has medal as evidence. In
1879 he was the unanimous choice of
the Republican party for nominee for
mayor of Chicago he has been an ac-
tive republican in many ways, liber-
al contributor to party funds and an
able advocate of the principles of that
party, though independent in thought
and action, and never has blindly sup
ported corrupt measures or unworthy
men.
He is one of the strongest pub
lie speakers in ChicagO-clear, logical
and fOrcible his chances for political
preferment are excellent. He has been
for many years prominent director of
the Board of Trade and was elected its
president last January, and is one of
the most efficient and vigorous heads
and presiding officers the board ever
had. The annals of that famous board
have been illustrated by him in many
ways, and his impress is there as we'll
as upon the general business interests
of Chicago, the greatness of which, as
a commercial mart, he early fOresaw
and predicted. He is one of the many
Vermonters who have largely aided in
making Chicago the centre of the bust
ness and commercial energies of the
great West. He is successful bust
ness man at the head of a large firm
and of the Board of Trade, and is calm
and self-reliant under the consciousness
that he is fully able to perform the |
work before him none of the preten-
ses of a vain man and none of the hes
itency of a weak one. Nature has en-
dowed him with discriminating in
tellect and generous and high man
hood, and they have nurtured to ma